Whether you own a cottage, rent a cottage or visit a friends cottage, there is something about a cottage that can make your stress just melt away. Breathing in the fresh air helps but it's also that feeling, that bit of rustic, the bit of beachy, the interior of the cottage can sooth your soul.

A grand cottage or something smaller.....it doesn't matter, the feeling is still the same. Ahhhhhh

It's easy enough to bring that cottage feeling into your home. You don't need log walls or panelling, all you need are a comfy couch and some cottagy accessories to give your home that 'feeling'.

Maybe antlers and fish mounted on the wall isn't your thing but a cottage can be fresh. Whites, natural woods and other natural elements help bring the outdoors, inside.

Cottage life is a relaxed life, just a little something to consider when working on bringing a little cottage into your life.

I recently did a post on how to pick an area rug, you can read it HERE.  Shortly after that I received a message from a shy follower saying that they have been without a rug for 3 years, she's too nervous to buy. 
What if it's not right? 
What if it's not perfect?
I say JUMP RIGHT IN !
 Ask the store what their return policy is and if it doesn't work - return it. I've worked with several stores that will let you 'borrow' an area rug, they keep your credit card number on file and if it's not returned in the agreed upon time, they'll charge you the price of the rug.

I LOVE area rugs, I would have to say it's a bit of an addiction.
Your floor is your 5th wall, an important visual when you walk into a room. An area rug ground the room, dictate a style and it's also an 
inexpensive way to change up the look of a room.

Being a hot colour for 2013 and the birthstone for the month of May I thought I would share how the designers have been influenced by this rich jewel tone.

Faux Bois is a fancy, well actually french wood for 'false wood'. With the growing popularity of natural and organic looking elements in home design and decor, this classic pattern is having a resurgence.
 It’s been around at least since 1875, when Joseph Monier first designed a bridge imagined after timbers and logs.